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Sunday, September 25, 2011

Fuchsia is the queen of my front flowerbed in August and September. Better to say, there are two queens there. Bought about six years ago, they don't have tags so I can't give you their names. I call them Fuchsia The Brunette and Fuchsia The Blonde. They were tiny plants back when I picked them, but now, they are two good size shrubs.

They both are very photogenic.

Somehow, I always take more pictures of Fuchsia The Blonde with its large pink-dark pink-light purple flowers.

- Why do you take her pictures more often than mine? -asked Fuchsia The Brunette.

- And why do you focus mostly on the individual flowers? Look how full my shrub is!

Really, the shrub is pretty big and full!

- Because I am prettier! - Fuchsia The Blonde interjected.

-I am thinner and my flowers are lighter!

-Show-off! The only thing you do the whole day is flirt with your neighbor Melianthus! - said The Brunette.

- Everyone in our flowerbed knows that!

-Ladies! Stop the squabbling!I am big enough for both of you - exclaimed Antonow's Blue Honey Bush, Melianthus as he invitingly spread his huge branches.

- Casanova! - said Fuchsia The Brunette.

- Skirt-chaser! - said Fuchsia The Blonde.

- Fine! - growled Melianthus. I'll make friends with The Daylilies. They bloom only for one day, but there are so many of them! One finishes blooming, but another is ready to replace it!

-Womanizer! - cried both Fuchsias simultaneously as they intertwined their branches. Case closed.

Melianthus major 'Antonow's Blue': Powder-blue, highly textural evergreen foliage grows along stems to 8 feet tall. In late spring, spikes of deep burgundy, nectar-rich flowers will attract numerous bird species to the garden. USDA Cold Hardiness Zone 7-12. Average minimum temperature of 0 to 10 degrees F. Needs regular watering -weekly, or more often in extreme heat. Partial to full sun. (Description by Monrovia)

I have others fuchsias growing separately, and I will show them later.

21 comments:

Hey Tanya,Hope you having a wonderful weekend.What a goudeous fuchsias. Before my childeren were born I had about 125 specimes. The winter was always a problem overhere. The last years I had them I put them in an old freezer. Laying horizontal without soil but coverd with peat. Every year I had to put them in new soil. But the year I had my first child in spring I forgotten to take them out. Stupid is nt it.Yours are beautiful. Can you leave them in the garden in the winter?Warm wishes Marijke

Wow! Those are huge! I have lots of the Megallanicas that get good sized, but none of the other "hardy" ones get as large as the ones you have there. I love fuschias, and we are lucky in the PNW to be able to grow them, and have different nurseries who specialize in them, to find lots of different ones.

Tatyana, usually I prefer brunettes, but I equally like your blonde and brunette fuchsias! They are both so beautiful! The melianthus major Antonow's Blue is a really stunning foliage plant. I love blueish-grayish foliage and this one fits the bill perfectly. Wonder if I could grow it in San Diego or if it is too hot here... Great photos, again!Christina